Decalcomania



April 1947' H. F. SCHEETZ, JR 9,918

DECALCOMANIA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1945 Aprii 29, 1947.SCHEETZ, JR 2,419,918

DECALCOMANIA- Filed June 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29,1947 umrizo STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 DECALCOMANIA Henry F. Scheetz, Jr.,Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application June 15, 1945, Serial No. 599,636

(or. 41-33) I 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to decalcomanias and has particular reference towhat are known as ceramic decalcomania sheets for use in decorating anyceramic product such as pottery, glass, ceramic enamels, semi-porcelain,china and the like, and constitutes acontinuation-in-part of myapplication Serial No. 535,146, filed May 11,

A prime desideratum is to reduce the cost of production and at the sametime improve the appearance and quality of the finished product. Throughmy invention this important objective is attained by substantiallyreducing the time and labor heretofore necessary to carrying out thevarious operations involved and by substantially eliminating the wasteof material and effort which has heretofore of necessity attended theperformance of these operations.

For purposes of illustration and discussion the invention may well bedescribed with reference to chinaware or pottery, and more particularlyin connection with the decoration of sets of such ware, such asbreakfast, luncheon, and dinner sets, the various pieces of which areusually decorated with the same basic design.

The majority of ceramic decal sheets, frequently known as transferpapers, are made on what is commonly termed duplex paper. This is a thinsheet of tissue laminated with starch, or other suitable adhesive, to aheavier sheet of paper, called the backing. Such a laminated sheetprovides sufiicient body to the stock for color application and presswork. For purposes of illustration I am disclosing my invention withparticular reference to duplex paper, but it should be understood thatit is applicable to all commonly known transfer papers suitable fortransferring ceramic oxides or colors. Simplex paper and what is knownto the trade as Fulcal are among other types of transfer sheets withwhich my invention in its broadest phases may be used.

Various other objects and meritorious features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following description taken in conjunction withthe drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral figures, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a decal sheet madein accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a corner of such sheet;

Fig. 3 is a section along 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating only one of thedecorative designs and enlarged to show certain structure details;

Fig. 4a. is a section similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a somewhat modifiedconstruction;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of one of the designs appearing in Fig.1 and illustrating one stage in the sequence of operations;

Fig. 6 illustrates the step of applying the stripped decal in accordancewith my invention to a piece of pottery;

Fig. 7 Ba section along l! of Fig. 6;

Fig. .8 illustrates the product after fusion of the color during firing;

Fig. 9 is a section along 99 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 illustrates the finished product, and

Fig. 11 is a section along ll-ll of Fig. 10.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a single decal sheetmade of duplex paper and comprising in the single sheet a plurality ofdecorative designs applied with ceramic coloring material. The sheetillustrated is designed particularly for a set of tableware. Each designor ornamentation is carefully predetermined as to proportion anddimensions in accordance with the size and shape of the particularpieces to which the design is to be applied. In the form illustrated thesheet, broadly indicated by the numeral It), includes a number ofindividual decals comprising circular designs such as l2 and i l forapplication around the marginal portion of dishes. .Also included arearcuate design configurations such as l6, l8 and 2|! adapted to bepositioned around the margins or lips of various cup-shaped orbowlshaped pieces of ware. The sheet may include designs adapted to beafiixed to the handles of cups, as indicated at 22.

As already described broadly, and more particularly illustrated in Fig.4, such a sheet comprises a relatively heavy backing sheet 24 to whichis adhered or laminated, as by means of a starch lamination 26, arelatively thin sheet of tissue 28 upon which the designs such as 22 areimprinted in ceramic or oxide coloring material. Various well knownmeans and methods, such as lithography, offset, gravure, silk or metalscreening and letter press printing, may be used for printing orprinting and dusting the configurations or designs on the laminatedsheets.

In the absence of certain aspects of my invention, it is necessary forthe pottery manufacturer using such sheets to first separate the tissue28 from the backing 24, whereupon the decals or designs may be cutindividually from each tissue sheet or a number of tissue sheets ordesign to the ware itself in such manner asto obtain any degree ofuniformity in the final product is extremely diflicult, a laborious andtedious procedure carried on .to a large extent by guesswork in thematter of spacing and accuracy of positioning. Furthermore, because offaulty alignment of the superposed sheets prior to cutting outindividual designs, many of the individual designs become mutilatedduring the cutting operation and for thatreason incapable of furtheruse. Because of the spoilage and waste resulting from such unavoidablemutilation, and because of the time and labor necessary to obtain evenan approximate degree of uniformity in the final product, the results ofsuch procedure as a whole are not satisfactory.

The difliculties inherent in the above described procedure, and theconsequent waste of time and material together with the questionablesatisfaction offered by the result, as to appearance and uniformity,have been eliminated by my invention, according to certain aspects ofwhich each individual design or configuration is at least partiallysegregated from the body of the sheet I8 along a weakened marginal line30 spaced from the margin of the color design to provide a marginalportion or border predetermined as to area and contour extending alongthe edge of each design. This weakened linemay be in the form ofperforations or a full die out except for spaced uncut nicks or joinderportions such as are indicated at 3| in Fi 1, .full segregation beingindicated at 32 in the modification disclosed in Fig.

4. In one phase ofithe invention it may also' comprise a score line=3lextending through the tissue sheet 28 and partially through thebacking sheet 24, as illustrated in Fig. 4a. The important is uch that.when each design portion has been removed from the body of sheet l0 andthe tissue supporting the color removed in the customary manner from thepaper backing, the margin of the tissue functions as a guide by means ofwhichv each individual design or decal may be applied uniformly and inproper position to the article for which it i intended. I

Referring now more particularly to Figs, 5-11, Fig. 5 illustrates the coor bearing tissue 28 partially stripped from the backing 24 associatedwith design portion it after the latter has been removed from the bodyof main sheet In. This particular design i for application around themargin of a cup 36, the manner of doing so being illustrated clearly inFigs. 6-11.

Using the margin of the tissue as a guide, and in this instance moreparticularly the arcuate marginal portion which extends around a portion39 of the design which happens to be of reater lateral dimension thanthe remainder thereof, such margin is accurately aligned with lip 40 ofthe cup and the design strip adhered vtion of the design on thesupporting surface and to the cup by means of a coating of varnish orother suitable adhesive 42 previously applied to that. portion of theware which is to be decorated.

The tissue carrying the decoration is then wet or moistened and easilyremoved from the ware, as the moisture penetrates, leaving thedecoration on the ware. During an initial firing, in the case ofunderglazing, the adhesive 42 is expelled in gaseou form, leaving thecolored design as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 ready for glazing and firing ofthe glaze to obtain the finished product illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11.In overglazing the firing burns off the varnish and also fires thecolorinto the glaze, which has been fired on previously.

A further important aspect of the improvement resides in the discoverythat hitherto unobtainable results are possible where the die cut ismade from the rear or backing face of the laminated sheet 10. It hasbeen found that when following the usual practice of cutting from thefront or tissue face of the sheet there is a distinct likelihood oftearing the tissue during the stripping operation. This is because thecutting edge of the die has a tendency to force the tissue laminationdown into the adhesive securing it to the backing and down into thestock of the backing sheet itself. As a result considerable care must betaken in stripping the tissue 28 from the backing 24 to avoidtearing thetissue. It was found that where the force of the die is exerted from thebacking face of the sheet, not only is this hazard eliminated but thereis a slight tendency to loosen the tissue from it backing along the lineof die cut, thus actually facilitating the stripping operation.

Due to the fact that the risk of tearing the tissue during the strippingoperation is eliminated by this important departure from the customarypractice in the art, an additional saving in time of considerableproportions is made possible. After removal of the decal design as awhole from the sheet In it may be positioned directly and in itsentirety, including both backing sheet and tissue, upon the ware. Ofcourse the free marginal portion provided by the die cut is identical.onboth tissue and backing and the margin of the laminated decal as awhole may be used as a guide in positioning the design on the ware in.exactly the manner heretofore explained when describing that operationwhere the tissue is first stripped from the backing before applicationto the ware.

Since the surface to which the decal is applied has been firstlubricated, so to speak, by a coating of varnish as hitherto described,the entire decal may be manipulated readily after application to theware to position it exactly in its predetermined location. Preferablyone corner of the tissue of the decal is first loosened beforeapplication of the decal as a whole to the varnished surface of theware. When the decal is properly positioned the loosened end of thebacking sheet is grasped and the same is stripped from the tissueadhering to the ware. Thereafter the design is fused as hithertodescribed.

Application of the design without need for first stripping the entirecolor design bearing tissue from the backing eliminates a time consumingstep in the operations involved and effects a decided economy without inany way impairing the results obtained. Of course it will be understoodthat the die cut when made from the backing face of the laminated sheetill will extend completely through the laminations and that a partialdie cut, such as that illustrated in Fig. 4a, is possible only when thecut is made from the front or tissue face of the sheet.

Having'described various important features of the invention andillustrated the same in conjunction with specific modiiicationsdisclosed in the drawings, it will be apparent that theinventiveconcepts underlying the invention are manifold. One is that of removingeach decal design directly from a large sheet containing a plurality ofthe same in such manner that a marginal portion of predetermined areaand contour extends along the edges of the color application forming thedesign, Another is that of providinga guide margin predetermined withreference to the ware for use in positioning the color design On theware. Die cutting the sheet from the rearor backing face ofthelaminatedassembly to obviate tearing of the tissue and make itpossible to apply the decal without first removing the tissue from thebacking is a very important phase of the invention. Still others residein the means whereby these concepts are carried out and in the operationitself.

As suggested heretofore, the width x of the marginal portion, the edgeof which functions as a guide in applying the design to the ware, ispredetermined in accordance with the position the design is intended tooccupy on the ware and in relation to some uniformly fixed portion ofthe ware, such as the rim of the cup as illustrated in the drawings orthe outer rim of a dish. In some instances the width of the marginextending along the edges of designs such as those illustrated hereinmay be predetermined with reference to the margin of the inner or bowlportion of a dish.

In view of these basic concepts it is clear that the improvementsderived therefrom may be obtained in various waysother than by thespecific structure illustrated in the drawings and described above withreference thereto. For instance, the design portions may be die cutcompletely from sheets such as that illustrated in Fig. l, or from anyother sheet, prior to delivery k to the pottery manufacturer. The use ofweakened lines delineating the guide margins has, however, manyadvantages in that the pottery manufacturer is never certain of theexact number of decal designs required for any given period of time andit is sometimes more feasible to store and ship them in sheet formdelineated by weakened lines of the type described heretofore so thatthe design portions may be removed at will from the sheets and appliedin themanner hitherto described.

Furthermore, the guide margin associated with each design portion andformed by the weakened lines, or by a full die out under thecircumstances outlined above, need not and in many instances could notbe of uniform width throughout all portions of the design. For instance,the circular designs illustrated herein include what may be regarded asmedallion interruptions 39 at spaced intervals, each of which is ofgreater Width than the main circular portion of the design. It is notessential that the weakened line or die out line conform exactly to thecontour of each of these medallion portions in all instances. If thedesired position of the design upon the ware is such as to permit, anuninterrupted circular weakened or full die out line extendingcompletely around both edges of the entire decal design it, forinstance, would be sufficient for the intended purpose. The use ofuninterrupted die contours in forming the weakened lines or die cutlines in spaced relation to the edges of the design simplifies theprocedure.

The particular carrier used for the color material is also immaterial tocertain phases of the invention. While I have illustrated and describedthe use of a tissue carrier for ceramic or oxide pigments, various othercolor carriers for use in laminated constructions or otherwise areavailable. Among these are various cellulose and acetate filmsfrequently used as color carriers in the manufacture of labels.Transfers within the scope of this invention and using such films ascolor carriers may be applied by labeling machines, in which case themargin of the border positions the design in the labeling machine foraccurate deposit on the ware. The film dissipates as a, gas when theware, such as a bottle, is fired to fuse the color thereto.

Machines such as those used for the cutting of the box board to makefolding boxes are eminently suitable for my purpose. These usuallycomprise a steel cutting rule placed in a wooden formand frequently runon a cylinder press. Such forms can be made up in other ways and placedon fiat bed presses. It will be appreciated that the particular mannerof forming the weakened or die cut lines extending along the designportions and constituting guide, lines for application of the designs tothe were constitutes no part of my present invention.

Having described specific forms of my invention, various modificationsthereof lying within the inventive concepts disclosed herein will beapparent to those skilled in the art and for that reason I wish to limitmyself only within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. .That step in a process of decorating vitreous ware such as glass,enamel, semi-porcelain and the like by the use of any of a plurality ofindividual ceramic decalcomanias included in a single sheet comprisingbacking and color support layers with individual color designs on theexposed face of the latter which consists in partially segregating theindividual design from the sheet by full die cut lines impressed fromthe backing side of the sheet in such location as to provide a border ofwaste material so predetermined as to size and shape with reference to agiven line on the ware that the margin of said border when aligned withthe predetermined line on the were positions the design on the latter ina predetermined location.

2. A laminated sheet including a relatively heavy backing and an exposedceramic color supporting surface with individual color designs thereon,and spaced full die cuts impressed from the backing face of thelamination partially segregating each design from the sheet and iormingadjacent the design a border of waste material of such area and contourin relation to a predetermined line on the article to which the designis to be transferred that the margin of said border functions inconjunction with said line on the ware to position the color designaccurately in a predetermined location on the ware.

3. The arrangement set forth in claim 2 wherein the color support layeris tissue.

4. That process of decorating vitreous ware such as glass, enamel,semi-porcelain and the like with designs by the use of ceramicdecalcomanias 7 free border of such dimensions and contour that when themargin thereof is aligned with the given line on the ware the colordesign is properly positioned thereon, adhering such abordereddecalcomania to the ware with its border margin aligned with thegiven line on the ware, and. tiring the same to fuse the colorto theware.

5. That step in a process of decorating vitreous ware such as glass,enamel, semi-porcelain and v 6. A process of decorating vitreous waresuch 20 as glass, enamel, semi-porcelain and the like which comprisespredetermining the desired position of a specific color design upon theware,

forming a decalcomania bearing such design and including a support witha marginal waste portion corresponding in area and contour to thatportion of the were between a margin of the design in said predeterminedposition and a line of reference on the ware, positioning the deca1c0-mania on the ware so that the appropriate marginal contour of the wasteportion coincides with said line of reference, removing the supportincluding saidwaste portion from the ware, and

fusing the color design thereto.

' HENRY F. SCHEETZ, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,800,136 Driess Apr. 1'7, 19312,089,779 Adair Aug. 10, 1937 2,115,345 Stillweil Apr. 26, 19382,265,659 Wittnebel Dec. 9, 1941

